The Dude Food Man – Melbourne, Australia

September 28, 2015

Photo courtesy of Dude Food Man.

This past weekend we went to The Dude Food Man in Essendon with our beloved burger friend, @burg.her. I had heard quite a few things about this place, all of them having been good, and when she mentioned going I got really excited. So we drove north and ended up at this cute little retro-style burger joint. What comes next is just pure delicious burger-ness.

The Place

The moment you walk in, you’re hit with this amazing teal blue color that is very reminiscent of the 1950s. Everything about this place is retro, from the clocks to the fridges. It’s so simple yet so cute. The style is very clean but everything pops because of the color.

I loved all the little touches around the place, it made it feel like a really authentic ’50s burger joint.

The Menu

Only a handful of choices but with something for everyone. What I liked was the most was how that just by reading the description of the burgers you could already get a sense of the flavor. They also mix up the shakes every now and then, which is good for variety.

The Burger

My expectations for this place were high because @burg.her said great things about it, along with a few other burger friends we talked to. The one thing I will say off the bat is that my expectations were exceeded!! The burgers were incredible! They were so flavorful and juicy!

First order up is mine, the Southern Fried Chicken Burger with a succulent and juicy fried chicken breast, American cheddar, salad, and chipotle mayo. The bun to burger ratio was perfect and you could taste every delicious bit of the burger. Everything was really juicy and the sauces meshed so well together. The brioche bun was on point and was squishy and good.

The Dan Man ordered the Pulled Pork Slider, with smoked pork shoulder, crackling, coleslaw, house made BBQ sauce and aioli. The juicy pulled pork was sweet and succulent and you got a bit of a crunch from the crackling. The coleslaw and sauces melded together really well to give it a sweet and salty crunch. This was a good crack at the a southern classic and the flavors were like a party in your mouth!

We also popped by a second time and ordered The Dude Burger, with a Wagyu patty, American cheddar, pickles, caramelized onions, salad, mustard, ketchup, and aioli. Definitely an all-American classic burger that was not a disappointment to your taste buds!! A super juicy and flavor packed patty that complimented all the toppings so well. The salad adds a really nice crunch to the burger and the sauces made it a finger-licking good sandwich!

I went ahead and got a Ultimate Double Cheese & Bacon Burger, which so so good I couldn’t even believe it! Double Wagyu beef patties, double American cheddar, double cold smoked bacon, onions, pickles, house made BBQ sauce and aioli, made for one helluva burger! This was so juicy and full of flavor that I wanted to just keep eating it! Just take a look for yourself:

The Verdict

Dude Food Man is a definitely must try in Melbourne! A simple menu with a simple, old-style diner theme makes for a great meal! Because of their simplicity, they focus on making what the have really great. They also have hand-cut fries and are so crispy and perfectly salty served alongside their house made aioli. A meal here is like a trip to burger heaven with something for everyone. As you can see we basically tried every burger on the menu except for the veggie burger, though it looks really good! Prices here are great and you get a lot of food. You will leave here with a full belly and happy taste buds!